148 An Irritating Problem
This is a quick message about the current situation of this fic and while I posted this yesterday in the author's notes I'm guessing many people would have skipped it so here it is at the start of the chapter.
So with the last chapter I have finished reposting Harry Potter and the Boy Who Lived and am now publishing my own. Firstly I want to apologize for what will be a drop in quality and chapter length and I want to reassure everyone that I will be endovering to finish this story the best I can and moving forward Harry will be more involved in what will happen.
The reason why I didn't change the fourth year and include Harry in the tournament as I believe many thought, want or expected was because I felt that it would do the story a disservice and that you the readers need to know Nathan more. To put it bluntly, Nathan is not canon Harry with a different name. Hopefully most of you can see that looking back and will see it easily in the future.
Finally an update of my progress so far. I have currently finished the fourth year and planned the fifth however I am iffy of the end of the six year and if Harry will go with Nathan to destroy the horcruxes during the seventh. Also I have yet to start the fifth year as I am rather to the point as a writer and I want to add a secondary plotlines to fill the fifth year and so on, hopefully to fill the story.
Lastly I have to admit that so far the hardest thing for me when writing this is the dates and as such I want your opinion on if I should just not bother with them.
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Defence Against the Dark Arts Classroom, January 4th
Harry was worried.
It had been over a week since the ball and not much had gone well at all. The week started alright enough as the students that left for the Christmas holidays settled in quietly without much disruption to the Durmstrang and Beauxbatons students and Harry had decided to attend at least some of the classes which he hadn't done yet, unfortunately that was it.
On the second day of school Rita Skeeter had written a story about the groundskeeper's heritage and a brief outline on giants, their savage nature and how Dumbledore was an idiot for hiring Hagrid, just generally fear mongering. Finally she and a promise for more soon about 'a love triangle of two celebrities'.
Normally while Harry would feel bad for Hagrid but the man was acting like a child and distracting Nathan, and considering that he and Viktor were the only famous people at Hogwarts where Skeeter had written her past few articles about, he was nervous about the upcoming story.
"Potter! Are you even listening to me?" A voice suddenly yelled, disrupting him from his thoughts.
Looking up, Harry couldn't help but scowl that he was outed. Flicking off his Disillusionment, he answered "Yes sir, a dementor is a wraith-like creature with the ability to generate feelings of depression and despair in any person in close proximity to them and can also consume a person's soul. There are few actual defences against them, the best defence is the Patronus Charm. Would you like a demonstration?"
Without waiting for an answer Harry produced his doberman patronus, to the awe and disbelief of the rest of the class.
This wasn't actually Mad-Eye Moody's first class he had been to but it was the first time he went to a seventh year class, apparently Drumstrang's really was just that much further ahead or Hogwarts' was that slow but he needed to attend seventh year classes for many of his subjects. Not that he revealed that to anyone, but it was common knowledge that all of the Durmstrang students were in at least one seventh year subject, he and Calypso were undoubtedly underestimated due to their age by the professors and students of Hogwarts, and to a lesser extent Beauxbatons.
Once the lesson finally ended Moody let them leave before signalling for Harry to stay.
"Well done with that question and showing up the rest of the seventh year's, but if you're not going to pay attention to my class then don't bother to come" Moody said.
"Sorry Sir, I just had something on my mind" Harry said, trying to figure out how to leave without offending Moody. He wanted to go spend some time with Calypso before trying to figure out how the golden eggs worked with Viktor and Nathan.
"About your brother right and friend right? Has either of them figured out the egg yet?" Moody asked, unknowingly mirroring Harry's thoughts.
"That and Rita Skeeter"
"Skeeter? Why that cow… you're wondering how she got those quotes in her latest article, aren't you? I'll admit it, even when I was working as an auror that women often knew unreleased information but I wouldn't worry about it too much." Moody said, in an uncharacteristic manner.
"What about constant vigilance?" Harry asked, surprised that the Mad-Eye Moody had just told him not to worry.
"I know it is hypocritical for me to say it but worrying too much won't do any good. Preparing I agree with but you're just going to drive yourself crazy and that won't do you or anyone else any good"
"I know but it keeps bugging me" Harry said, annoyed.
Something flicked on Moody's face "There's nothing you can do about it Potter. I mean it's not like any random person can just walk into Hogwarts. In fact in the last century at least only Pettigrew did".
"I know but Pettigrew was--" Harry said, a sudden realisation on his face "I got to go professor but thank you so much".
"Glad to help with whatever it was," Moody said, shrugging, not seeming to care much at all.
Confused at his blasé behavior Harry couldn't help but ask "Why are you helping me professor?"
"Two reasons Potter, the first was that I promised to keep my eye on you and your brother and secondly because you reminded me of me when I was your age." Moody said, reminiscing about the past. "While I wasn't anywhere near your level of proficiency, I had that same love of magic you do".
Harry, seeing that Moody was seemingly off in his own world, simply nodded and went to go find Calypso and to write a letter.
"You really do remind me of me Potter" Moody whispered into the empty room before taking a drink from his flask and finally allowed his face to lift into a twisted smile, broken by the many scars on his face.
"I should have never doubted the Dark Lord, Potter really will be a great Death Eater."
